The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Arguments could derail Brexit talks, May warned
attack: Tusk calls for calm over ‘difficult enough’ negotiations
The president of the European Council has warned Theresa May against letting “emotions get out of hand” in a stinging attack after she accused Brussels of seeking to interfere in the general election.
Donald Tusk said Brexit negotiations will “become impossible” if the UK and the EU become embroiled in arguments before formal talks have even begun.
Mrs May sent shock waves through Brussels with a dramatic Downing Street statement on Wednesday accusing unnamed “European politicians and officials” of issuing threats deliberately timed to affect the June 8 vote.
The row blew up after a German newspaper published an apparently well-briefed account of the Prime Minister’s meeting with key Brussels figures in No 10 last week. It reportedly ended with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker saying he was “10 times more sceptical” of the likelihood of a successful Brexit.
In a call for calm, Mr Tusk appealed for discretion in the negotiations, a plea widely viewed as being aimed at Mr Juncker’s office.
At a press conference in Brussels, Mr Tusk said: “These negotiations are difficult enough as they are.
“If we start arguing before they even begin, they will become impossible.
“The stakes are too high to let our emotions get out of hand because at stake are the daily lives and interests of millions of people on both sides of the channel.
“We must keep in mind that in order to succeed we need today discretion, moderation, mutual respect and a maximum of goodwill.”
European Parliament president Antonio Tajani rejected the Prime Minister’s claim and a spokesman for Mr Juncker said his office was too busy to meddle in the election.
Mr Tajani said: “If you have an election campaign, the rhetoric gets sharper and more robust.
“I don’t think there is any question of influencing the campaign.”
Earlier, Mr Juncker’s spokesman Margaritis Schinas brushed off Mrs May’s comments, telling reporters: “We are not naive. We know that there is an election taking place in the United Kingdom. People get excited whenever we have elections.
“This election in the United Kingdom is mainly about Brexit. But we here in Brussels, we are very busy, rather busy, with our policy work.”
Speaking outside Number 10 on Wednesday, the PM said: “The events of the last few days have shown that, whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe’s other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper.”
The fall-out from the Prime Minister’s quite extraordinary broadside against the EU began in earnest yesterday, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon accusing Theresa May of “playing a game”.
Likening the UK’s premier to Donald Trump, Ms Sturgeon warned that Britain’s negotiation with the EU was being “almost wilfully” sabotaged by Ms May.
Clearly there is no love lost between the two leaders, with this week’s events adding plenty of fuel to an already ferocious fire. Whether or not Ms May has intentionally “poisoned” negotiations with EU leaders remains to be seen, but it is certainly hard to imagine her comments will do anything to ease the Brexit process.
Her motivations for such an incredible outburst remain somewhat mystifying.
Sadly, the whole affair is yet again just another sideshow as matters constitutional continue to dominate the political landscape.
Yesterday, council elections were taking place – offering voters the opportunity to affect change at a local level. However, many heading to the polling stations would be forgiven for thinking Brexit and even a second independence referendum were at stake.
They weren’t – yet suddenly it doesn’t seem very fashionable for politicians to be talking about education, unemployment and the provision of local services.
We are all suffering as a result.